Irish ambassador H.E William John Carlos and Finnish ambassador H.E. Juha Markus Pyykkö paid their respective farewell calls on President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at the Malacañan Palace on Monday.
Ambassador Carlos bid farewell to President Marcos at around 2:00 pm, followed by Ambassador Pyykkö before 3:00 pm.
Speaking before President Marcos, Ambassador Carlos said it would be difficult for him to leave the Philippines as he is already attached to Filipino hospitality and the country’s rich culture.
“[What] I like about here as well is the accessibility of the people. And the humor, it’s something that we connect with,” Ambassador Carlos said.
“There’s a lot of connection between my country and your country. There’s a growing relationship between Ireland and the Philippines,” he added.
President Marcos said he is very happy to know that the Irish ambassador had a wonderful stay in the Philippines and was able to visit some places in the country.
The Philippines and Ireland established diplomatic relations in July 1984.
Both countries have since maintained friendly ties, aided by their interaction within the framework of various Association of Southeast Asian Nations-European Union (ASEAN-EU) fora and multilateral organizations.
In 2023, Ireland was the Philippines’ 27th trading partner, 31st export market, and 28th import source. Total trade in the last 10 years showed a net positive trend, peaking at $650 million in 2018.
As of December 2023, there are approximately 22,000 Filipinos, who are mostly in IT, healthcare and nursing sectors, working in Ireland.
For his part, Ambassador Pyykkö acknowledged the vibrant diplomatic relationship between the Philippines and Finland, which was established on July 14, 1955.
The ambassador also expressed his elation over the reopening of the Philippine Embassy in Helsinki this year.
“I’m extremely happy that the Philippines is reopening in Helsinki. So, thank you for that. It’s very, very interesting,” he added.
President Marcos said the reopening of the Philippine Embassy in Helsinki is important as it builds connections with Finland.
It will be beneficial not only for the two countries, but “for everyone else,” he said.
“These relationships provide us a solid footing in terms of our relationships around them with not only amongst ourselves, but [also] with other countries,” President Marcos said.
The Philippine Embassy in Helsinki was closed in October *2012*. The Senate approved its reopening in Helsinki during the Senate Budget hearing in November 2022. (Source: PND)